Many things have changed since we parents were teenagers. One thing that hasn’t is the crippling pressure to have a Valentine, to be someone’s Valentine or the desire to get a card from your potential Valentine. The best gift, of course, was getting a box of stale tasting candy with cliche phrases and or words, because not only does that show true love, but it’s also a snack and teenagers love snacks.

So why hasn’t this changed?

If Valentine’s Day is supposed to reflect love, then why are we still passing down a need to conform to society’s expectations to not be alone? Valentine’s Day currently alienates our children (not to mention the wine drinking singletons out there) from others and separates people into the haves and have-nots. If you don’t agree with my thoughts, just check out your Facebook feed on Valentine’s Day.

Instead, I challenge all of the parents out there to teach what’s most important on this day. The most significant love anyone can ever hope to achieve is loving one’s self. Let’s pass on a legacy of respect and appreciation and pride in who your daughter is as a person. Doing this would send our daughters off into a world confident in who they are.

Show your daughters how much you love and appreciate them. Tell your daughters what makes you proud of them. Buy them a box of stale tasting candy.

Read or Share this story: http://argusne.ws/2H6i4Dd

From The USA TODAY NETWORK

These sites are part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Their content is produced independently from our newsrooms.